Lawyers doubt law enforcers' punishment after detention of journalists in Makhachkala

The Dagestani journalists, Magomed Magomedov and Murad Muradov*, have filed an application to the Investigating Committee demanding to punish the law enforcers who detained them on July 11 at a picket in support of their arrested colleague, Abdulmumin Gadjiev. The law enforcers are unlikely to be punished, since the Dagestani Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) has complete freedom of action in relation to activists, the lawyers have pointed out.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that policemen explained the detention of journalists by their decision to remove the poster from the eyes of the officials, whose motorcade was supposed to pass by the venue. On July 13, the journalists announced that they had drafted complaints about the law enforcers' actions.

Magomed Magomedov, a deputy editor-in-chief of the "Chernovik" portal, has no hopes for the prompt outcome of the case. However, in his opinion, if it is "brought at least to certain stages," it will have a strong "educational impact" on other policemen.

Milrad Fatullaev, the editor-in-chief of the RIA "Derbent", believes that the reason for the disruption of the journalists' action was the arrival of Valentina Matvienko, the Chair of the Russian Federation Council. According to his version, the picketers were removed so that Matvienko would not see them. At the same time, he recalled that on other days, when solo pickets are held, law enforcers exhibit no such reaction.

The law enforcers, who disrupted the July 11 pickets, are unlikely to be held accountable, Marat Ismailov, a lawyer, believes.

Another Dagestani lawyer said that if the law enforcers were brought to justice, it would "be a miracle."